


The Dark Knight

by WallceRudolphWest



Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Justice League - All Media Types, Justice League of America (Comics)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Romance, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:36:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25582222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WallceRudolphWest/pseuds/WallceRudolphWest
Summary: A woman from a different world. A legend hiding in the dark. A gifted man. And a prince. The Justice League in a unknown world during the middle ages. AU. BMWW
Relationships: Artemis of Bana-Mighdall/Diana (Wonder Woman), Arthur Curry/Diana (Wonder Woman) One Sided, Arthur Curry/Mera, Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Diana (Wonder Woman)/Bruce Wayne
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not nor have I ever owned any DC characters mentioned in the fic. All characters are owned by DC and TimeWarner(ATT). Please don’t sue me DC.

*25 Years Ago*

A young boy stands over the lifeless bodies of two people. The darkness around him suffocating. Not even the moon would comfort him on this night. The pungent smell of death permeated the air. The young boy felt no fear. He’d already prayed for death, and his prayer went unanswered.

The tears had long dried up. Perhaps the boy’s prayer was answered for on this night the young son of Lord Thomas Wayne and Lady Martha Wayne had died, and the Dark Knight of Gotham was born. Death would forever follow this child, but instead of being on the other end of Death’s blade he would be the harbinger of Death.

XXXXXXX

A mother held her little baby boy as the father barked orders to all those running around the large room. The mother couldn’t help but shed a few tears for her little baby boy for she knew it would be the last time she would ever hold her son. The father slowly approached the crying woman with a sad smile. “Lara… it’s time.”

“Please just one… one more minute with him. One more minute of him in my arms Jor-El.” The woman named Lara begged with a sorrowful smile. The man named Jor-El looked down on his wife with pity for he knew what awaited all three of them. “Of course.” He whispered. That minute would forever be Lara’s most precious minute.

Slowly raising her arms that carried the little baby boy, so that Jor-El could take him. Once securely in the arms of his father, Jor-El was off to the carriage that awaited his son. The darkness on this night was suffocating. The moon would not greet Jor-El as he stepped outside and towards the awaiting carriage.

“Lord Jor-El quickly. The army is almost upon us.” As quickly as he could he placed his son in the carriage. He would be safe in there that Jor-El knew. Glancing down at his sleeping son he couldn’t help but caress his sons face with his finger. “I love you and so does your mother. We always will Kal-El.” Not wasting another second Jor-El closed the door to the carriage, and watched as it took off as if Death itself was on its heels.

Once out of sight Jor-El made his way back to his wife to spend the remaining time they had together. It was only a matter of time before General Zod and his army was upon them.

XXXXX

A scream echoed throughout the open chamber. Women surrounded the source of the scream waiting and helping where they could. Time seemed to slow for everyone in the chamber as they waited until finally the crying of a baby reached their ears. It was like sweet music that one could only find in the heavens with the gods.

In the middle of the circle of women laid a brand new mother. The smile that adored her face would be the first of many. “Welcome to the world, Diana. Finally, the gods have answered my prayers, my sun and stars.” The woman whispered to the tiny bundle in her arms. One thing that plagued the new mother was the darkness on this very night. She found it odd that Artemis wouldn’t be out tonight to greet her namesake.

XXXXXX

*Present Time*

Dark thunder clouds loomed over the city of St. James blocking out any attempts by the sun to welcome the city’s inhabitants. The smell of rain lingered in the air foretelling what was to come. It was as if Mother Nature knew what tragedy was about to occur. Almost as if she was already mourning the souls stuck inside the city’s vast 50 feet walls of solid stone.

The sound of a dozen of soldiers approaching was non-existent. The sound of thousands of civilians going on about this day silenced the drawing of swords. “Remember this isn’t meant to be discrete. This is meant to teach the empire a lesson. Do not hesitate. Do not discriminate.” the voice of a dark haired man spoke. He stood at 6’3” and weighed roughly 230 pounds, but the armor he wore added another 100 to 150 pounds. He wore a clean looking goatee that was short and to the point much like the man himself. His armor sparkled in the dark stormy light. His sword looked as if it could come to life at a moments notice. His black emotionless eyes showed years of war within them. This is a man who has seen battled throughout his life, and wouldn’t stop until his mission was complete.

“General Zod, what of women and children?” Spoke up a knight. “Do not discriminate.” The man named Zod said nonchalantly as if he were discussing the weather. With that the group of knights moved in, their unsuspecting prey lying in wait. 30 knights in total. 30 knights that would follow through with this treacherous act of evil. It took naught 15 minutes for them to reach the busiest street in St. James. It took naught 10 seconds for them to beginning. General Zod walked towards a woman speaking to a merchant about a which meat would be best to buy.

With a thrust of his sword, he plunged it into the woman’s back until her spin hit the hilt of his sword. The woman stood there as Zod’s sword stuck out from her chest. Slowly she looked down to see the protruding weapon. The sight of the blood shimmering off the blade was the only thing the woman could see. She looked up and into the merchants eyes before she opened her mouth to speak. Yet the only thing that came out was blood and a gurgle. Zod wasted no time in pulling out his sword from the woman, and in one fell swoop he sliced cleanly through her neck.

The merchant watched in horror as the woman’s head rolled off her shoulders and tumbled to the ground. The last thing the merchant witness was the glazed look in those pure blue eyes of the woman whose head lay on the floor a few feet from her body. General Zod cut down the man as if he was nothing more than a cockroach on the street. He turned around to see the people of St. James running around like chickens with their heads cut off while his men picked them apart.

He looked on as husbands tried to shield their wives and mothers trying to shield their children. Yet no matter how much they fought or begged the end result was the same, death.

He watched as a woman picked up her child and ran. She was fast, but Zod was just simply faster. He bolted after her making sure no one would come away alive. He slashed at her leg causing her to buckle and fall. She clutched to her child as she begged and pleaded for Zod to spare them. Her attempts at self preservation for her and her child made Zod roar with laughter. “Beg and barter all you want. Your death will come no matter what.” His voice was hoarse from laughing so much.

The mother had stop talking to Zod, and had resorted to whispering a prayer to her child. Zod raised his sword above his head to strike the woman and child down. With a scream Zod brought down his sword onto the waiting mother and child. Yet before the sword could make contact, with the skin of either the mother or child, it was blocked by an obsidian blade.

Zod’s eyes opened wide in surprise. Surprise at the audacity that someone would stop him from carrying out his mission. Looking up to the interloper, he saw a sight that made him unconsciously take a step back. An obsidian knight stood with his arm extended out, sword in hand blocking Zod’s path to the mother and child. “You… You aren— You don’t exist.” The words stumbled out of Zod.

The knight didn’t move an inch. He simply observed Zod waiting for him to get his wits back. Finally, Realization hit Zod like a lightning bolt. He now knew that he needed to tread carefully. Zod had heard the stories of this obsidian knight. Myths and legends do not come about from those who did not warrant them. “Men! Form formation alpha!” Zod yelled towards his knights. The men didn’t need any other words to encourage them to move. 5 men stood in front of the obsidian knight while 3 gathered to Zod’s left and another 3 to his right. The other 18 men stood behind Zod awaiting orders.

The obsidian knight finally took a step placing him in between the path of General Zod’s men and the mother and child. His point was clearly made to Zod. Harm would not come to the mother or the child. “Attack The Dark Knight NOW!!” Zod yelled.

XXXXX

The Dark Knight stood watching and waiting for any movement from the 5 men in front of him. He need not wait long. “Attack The Dark Knight NOW!!” Zod yelled. Not wasting time, with the speed of a cheetah, The Dark Knight plunged his sword into his first unexpecting opponent’s chest. His sword pierced the knights armor like a knife would a freshly baked cake. Pulling back his blade, he didn’t wait to watch the life leave the knights eyes nor the knight collapse.

A knight to his left brought down his sword with neck breaking speeds. With cat like reflexes, The Dark Knight brought his sword up to block the attack. The Dark Knight used his right foot to kick the chest of the offender. Spinning he quickly blocked the attack that came from behind. One of the knights had somehow managed to get behind him, and use the distraction wisely, or, so he thought.

The Dark Knight pressed forward making sure to watch the mother and child. He feigned an attack to the left, but used his momentum to change the course of his blade. The sword came down on top of the knights right shoulder, down to the bone. Wasting no time he pulled his blade out, and spun on his heels to once again face General Zod and his men. The sight of The Dark Knight taking out three of them in a matter of minutes stunned them. The Dark Knight used this to advantage by slicing through the last two in one swipe of his blade.

He approached the knight who was suffering from the brutal kick he received earlier. With no remorse or guilt, The Dark Knight plunged his blade into the man’s chest killing him in one blow. He raised his head and meet Zod’s stunned gaze. The Dark Knight could only wonder what thoughts were racing through Zod’s mind. He didn’t have to wait long for his silent question to be answered. “The six of you attack him for Rao’s sake! The rest of you retreat back to the safe point!”

“What about you, General?”

“Someone has to stay to kill this demon.” Zod said with venom spewing from his voice. The six men rushed The Dark Knight from all directions. None of them were on his level. Using his immense speed, The Dark Knight blitzed the knights. He called upon his sword’s power to blacken the surroundings. It was as if the 6 men had been trapped in blackness. They could see nothing nor hear anything. They never saw the blade as it cut them all down.

The Dark Knight wondered if General Zod had ever shown this much emotion in his entire life. Zod’s face was one of shock, and what The Dark Knight thought might be fear. “The legends… they are true… Yo—Your sword can truly trap people in a Phantom like zone.” Admiration rolled off Zod.

A smirk graced the lips of General Zod. His confidence was now back from what The Dark Knight could see. “I’m going to kill you, and then take my time killing that mother and her child.” Zod’s voice darkened. The Dark Knight could see Zod eyeing the pair behind him. Taking a step to block Zod’s vision, The Dark Knight raises his sword signaling the talking had ended. The Dark Knight knew Zod was immensely strong, fast, and he had stamina to keep this fight going. The Dark Knight would have to end this fight fast.

If he kept this fight going on for too long he would lose. Being human put him at a major disadvantage against the General. However, he needed to wait and let his opponent take the first move. This battle would be just like chest. The black piece never moves first. He watched as Zod eyed him. More than likely Zod was thinking the same thing, but The Dark Knight knew that General Zod of The Krit had a small window for his patience. Just as The Dark Knight expected General Zod had grown impatient with the staring contest.

Zod was fast, unbelievably fast, to the point The Dark Knight feared he’d made the wrong move by not attacking first. Yet due to The Dark Knights battle hardened mind, He was able to predict Zod’s move. A loud clang reverberated throughout the street as the obsidian blade met the blade of General Zod. “Good. I hoped you’d be able to fight better than anyone else I’ve yet to face.” Zod spoke with a murderous smile on his face.

The Dark Knight could feel that he was losing the battle of the blades as Zod continued to apply pressure. Strategically, The Dark Knight allowed Zod’s blade to slide down to the hilt of his own. This allowed him to swing both blades to the left forcing Zod to pull back just as The Dark Knight’s sword hit the ground of where he just stood.

XXXXXX

General Zod could only applaud, The Dark Knights keen mind and wits, in his head. “The stories and rumors about you truly hold no candle to the real thing. I would recruit you to The Krit if we had met under different circumstances. Instead, I’ll have to kill you.” Zod spoke with admiration. He watched as The Dark Knight only gripped his sword tighter.

Zod rushed The Dark Knight once again. This time he feigned an attack to The Dark Knights head only for him to swipe at the man’s legs, and once again a loud clang rang throughout the street. This time The Dark Knight brought up his left foot and went to kick Zod in the chest. The kick connected, but it only pushed Zod back a few feet. The kick had no effect with Kryptonian blood running through his veins. Still, Zod had to give him props. No one else had ever been able to touch Zod, let alone kick him. Zod truly regretted having to kill this specimen of humanity.

At the same time Zod had grown tired of this battle. Zod called on the power of his sword with a roar “Rao!!” Flames ignited on General Zod’s sword. “With the flames of Rao, I will cut you down!” Zod, using his inhuman speed blitzed The Dark Knight. Right as Zod blitzed The Dark Knight, 5 more Dark Knights appeared right in front of him. Zod had no idea which was the actual Dark Knight, so instead he just thought that he would have to kill them all. Right before he could strike at the first Dark Knight, his entire surroundings went black. The darkness even made his sword, burning with the flames of Rao, couldn’t light up anything a foot in front of him.

Zod knew where he was. He had been trapped in the Phantom Zone. His physical body was still inside the city walls of St. James, but his mind was trapped in an elseworld. Zod understood what he would have to do. It was his trump card, but The Dark Knight had left him no other choice but to use it. “Rao!!!” With a roar, the flames on Zod’s sword came to life exploding out in all directions.

The darkness faded, and Zod left the Phantom Zone returning to the city of St. James. As the street returned to Zod’s field of vision, he saw The Dark Knight shielding the woman and child. As if all the pent up grief had finally been too much, Mother Nature finally released her tears. The rain had started to put out the fires caused by Zod’s trump card. Zod knew that it was only thanks to the obsidian color that he could not see the charred back of The Dark Knight. Realizing that the more time he spent fighting The Dark Knight, the closer he was to losing.

Zod did the only thing he could. Zod used the ring on his right ring finger to teleport. This was absolutely not a loss nor a retreat. It was… it was a strategic withdrawal. Fighting The Dark Knight any longer would only result in the worst outcome for Zod. “Did you win, General?” The voice of one of his men drew Zod out of his thoughts.

“In a way, yes.” The cryptic answer was all the knight would receive. Zod had one by leaving the battle alive unlike any other combatant The Dark Knight has faced. However, Zod had also lost by withdrawing. He had been unable to fully complete his mission. Zod could only hope that The Kritarchs would be content with what he was able to achieve.

XXXXXX

The mother watched over the shoulder of The Dark Knight as the man named General Zod teleported away. “He’s… gone.” She whispered. This caused The Dark Knight to stand and turn. The mother watched as he looked around waiting for Zod to attack. After serval minutes passed by she saw The Dark Knight’s shoulder relax ever so slightly. He felt that it was safe enough for her and her child.

She didn’t give him much time to turn around before she sprung into his arms. Thanking him over and over for saving her and her child. The Dark Knight couldn’t do much but pat her on the back. She wondered if The Dark Knight had ever stuck around long enough to be thanked. She heard the rumors and stories surrounding him. She knew he protected those that could not protect themselves.

She was thankful God had answered her prayers, and sent an angel, an angel of Death, but an angel none the less. The sound of hundreds of armored foot steps drew her attention to behind her. By the time she turned back around he was already gone. It was as if he was never there and never existed. A figment of her imagination, but she knew that he had been called back to God.

XXXXX

“Your Holiness, you called for me?” A black hair male wearing white armor spoke. The armor looked as if God himself created it for his own uses. It shimmered and sparkled, as it always did, in the well lit room. The male, who normal stood at 6’2” and weighed 215 pounds, was kneeling in respect of the older man in front of him. The older man wore robes that seemed to match the religious decorations of the chamber they currently resided in. The older man had white hair and stood at 5’10” and weighed 170 pounds.

“Yes, my son. There’s been news that has reached the capital. A group of knights stormed the city of St. James. They killed hundreds of innocent people. I’m ordering you, The Holy Knight, to go to St. James and investigate further. I’ve sent word to The Holy Emperor that you will be gone for a few weeks.” The man sitting on the throne gently spoke.

“I understand, your holiness. I will depart at once.” The man known as The Holy Knight rose to his impressive stature of 6’2” before bowing. The Holy Knight then abruptly turned on his heels and made his way to the chamber’s doors that would lead him out of the church. Before he could open the door, the man sitting on the throne called out to him “Clark…” He turned to face the older man. “Yes, your holiness?”

“Stay safe.” With that The Holy Knight turned back around and left through the double doors.

XXXXX

The bright light entering the room made it easy for the dark haired woman to read. She wore a white chiton that accented her figure, and a crown befitting a princess. Her tan skin did not contrast against her white chiton. It was truly the opposite. The chiton made her caramel skin pop out as she stood to her impressive height of 6’2” and her flawless yet muscular figure couldn’t help but draw everyone attention. She weighed a mere 165 pounds, but her muscle’s, while feminine, had a hidden strength to them.

A knock on the door drew her attention away from the book. “Enter.” Her angelic voice softly echoed throughout her bedchamber. The door opened to reveal a red headed woman. The red head stood at 6’3”. Her muscles bulged but somehow still came off as feminine. She weighed 173 pounds and had eyes as green as the grass on the other side.

“Her majesty has requested you in the throne room, your highness.”

“Artemis, I understand you’re here on official orders from my mother, but you know I hate when you call me ‘your highness’.”

“I apologize, Diana.” The woman named Artemis spoke with a smirk on her face. Diana could do nothing but laugh at seeing the mischief in Artemis’ eyes.

XXXXX

Diana entered the throne room with a gracefulness and beautiful that she only seemed to have. Diana bowed to her mother before speaking “Artemis tells me that you called for me. Is there something I can do for you, mother?”

The dark haired woman sitting on the throne smiled at Diana. The woman stood to her full height of 5’9” and greeted her daughter with a hug. “I’ve missed you, my sun and stars.” The woman softly spoke. Diana laughed at what her mother had said. They had last seen one another a breakfast, but she understood how much her mother loved her. She was the only child to have been born on the island.

“I’ve missed you too, mother.”

XXXXXX

“You!”

“Did!”

“What!”

“I was forced to make a strategic withdrawal, Your Honors. I had to choose between death, and weakening the military might of The Kritarchy.” General Zod confidently spoke. This forced the 3 judges in front of Zod to pause. Zod could only wonder himself at what they were currently thinking.

“It seems we made a hasty decision by not fully listening to you, General Zod.”

“Yes. We will forgive your retreat since it means we are able to keep our best and most gifted General.”

“Next time make sure The Dark Knight isn’t lying in wait for you. We will not tolerate another failure. You are dismissed, General Zod.” The last judge had spoken. Zod rose to his feet and bowed before turning around and leaving The Court. Zod had expected such a reaction. The Kritarchs never accepted defeat without a reasonable evidence. Zod could only pray to Rao that his next mission would go without mishaps.

The Dark Knight was a truly formidable opponent. It would be wise to avoid him at all cost unless The Kritarchs would give him an army of at least a thousand men. By the time The Dark Knight would finish off the last knight he would be too tired to fight him. Zod smiled as he walked down the street. Zod would enjoy killing The Dark Knight even if it was the last thing he ever did.


	2. Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. Chapter 2 is up. It took me awhile to write this because at certain points I just didn’t have the inspiration to write. I didn’t want to just write something that didn’t feel right. I also couldn’t seem to get the writing to flow the way I wanted. I got stuck like last time deleting and rewriting certain parts. Well anyways enough the story.

*23 Years Ago*

A merchant walked down a dingy dirty alley in the city of St. Peter. He stood prim and proper as one would expect of a merchant within St. Peter’s walls. The merchant’s posture gave truth to his height of 6’0”, but his clothing, which showed how wealthy he was, did not show his weight of 160 pounds. The merchant hair was a salt and pepper look with thinning hair at the top of his head. He had a well taken care of mustache to match.

The merchant walked farther down the alley, a shortcut to his shop, when he noticed movement in what seemed to be the only spot covered in darkness in the alley. The merchant stopped and peered into the darkness. What stared back at him surprise the older gentleman. A pair of stormy blue eyes stared back into his own blue eyes.

The stormy blue eyes belonged to a boy no older than 10. The shadow the child hid in seemed to protect him. It was as if the child melted into the darkness, adopted by it. The man could only guess at what a boy his age with torn worn down clothing was doing in this alley. The older gentleman took on a kind and caring smile as he continued to stare into the boy’s eyes.

The merchant extended his hand to the boy while saying “My name is Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth. What’s yours?” The boy seemed to hesitate before grabbing onto the life line that was Alfred Pennyworth’s hand. “Bru…ce. My…my name… i—is Bruce.”

XXXXXXX

A blonde hair woman and a brown hair man looked down at the 2 year old currently snuggled up against the woman, asleep. “He’s gorgeous, Jonathan.” The woman spoke softly. “He’s gonna be a real looker that’s for sure, Martha.” The man named Jonathan whispered back. The 2 year old boy had shown up on their farm, just outside the city of St. Andrew, out of the blue.

The carriage he had arrived in had lacked a driver. The only reason the carriage had made it as far as it did was due solely to the trained horses leading it. The carriage was fancy, far too fancy and rich tasting for the married farmers, and it bore a symbol that told them it arrived from the northern country, known to all as The Kritarchy. The couple had hidden the carriage. Unfortunately, they both knew they couldn’t keep the horses, so Jonathan had gone into the city and sold them both.

“Martha we need to talk about where he came from. It’s been two years, but I’m sure someone is still looking for him.” Jonathan said with a serious tone. Martha didn’t answer him immediately. Instead, she took a minute to stroke her son’s cheek as he slept. She understood that his birth mother might still be looking for him, but how could she be expected to give up this precious child? Tearing her eyes away from the most precious gift she’d ever received, she looked up to meet her husband’s gaze.

XXXXXX

*The Present*

The air was thick with grief. The city of St. James was in mourning for those lost in the attack that will forever be scared into their minds. Clark Kent, The Holy Knight, could only watch as the city laid to rest their dead. It pained the man to watch husbands bury wives, and fathers and mothers bury sons and daughters. The only thought on his mind was how could someone commit such a heinous act. Only a person devoted of all empathy and morals could do such a thing.

His mission was to investigate the incident, but Clark took the first day to attend the funeral. He prayed for the souls of the dead to be allowed entrance into heaven. The second day of Clark’s investigation was used not as an investigator or a warrior, but as a priest that would lend his ear to all. Many came to speak to The Holy Knight, and many shed tears in their talks. Clark was a warrior through and through, but even he couldn’t help but shed a tear.

On the third day, Clark finally went to work. He decided to start where the blood bath, the massacre, took place. There was little, if anything, left from the incident. The city had done an excellent job of cleaning the incident. It was almost like they were trying to wipe the massacre from their memory, but it would forever be with all of them like horrid scar. This street would forever be remembered for those lives lost. Clark walked around observing the way people erected memorials.

Clark has originally believed he would be ambushed by a mob of admirers while in his armor. However, hardly anyone paid any attention to him. That seemed to hit Clark the hardest. In his mind, he finally understood how raw this entire thing was for not just those directly affected but for everyone. Clark had little luck in getting a first hand account of the incident which made sense to him. Anyone within eyesight would’ve been killed. It only frustrated him, but a mother and her child walking around to different people caught his attention.

Nothing really about the pair caught his attention until he caught a glimpse of her eyes. They looked like they witnessed a hell like no other, but with a shimmer of hope. That’s what ultimately decided for Clark to ask her questions. He approached her slowly as to not startle her or her child. Yet it was Clark who was the one startled, not by her actions, but by the lack of them. She had turned around and just simply gave him a smile. There wasn’t a rush to greet him like a savior or praise him for his appearance in the city.

It was as if she had already found one. “Is there something I can help you with, Sir…?” Her soft voice brought Clark out of his thought. Shaking his head Clark answered her “Kent. Sir Kent. I wanted to know what you know about the incident that happened here. Were you able to witness the events here?” She hesitated for a brief second, but Clark still picked up on it. “I did. It was… horrific. The–these men just came out of no where. They didn’t hesitate to start their… killing. I…I… I would’ve been buried with the others along with my son if… he hadn’t appeared.”

“What did the men look like?”

“They… they all had on armor. Head to toe except for their leader. He lacked a–a helmet. All of them bore the symbol of the country to the north.”

“What did the leader look like? Was he tall? Short? Did he have any defining marks?”

“He was tall and had a goatee. He had blond–no black hair. Black eyes too. He also had a sword that he could light on fire. He kept yelling Rao when he did it too.” This shocked Clark to his core. He had heard about this man before. Dru-Zod also known as General Zod, leader of the elite group of knights from The Kritarchy known as The Krits. If General Zod was the one who led the massacre then that meant The Kritarchy sanctioned the attack.

Clark’s face stayed blank while his mind continued to go deeper into the rabbit hole. Something the woman had said forced Clark back into reality. “Who? Who appeared?”

“The Dark Knight. He–he was like an angel sent from God. He saved my son and I from certain death.” Once again Clark was on the other end of shock. Just like Zod, Clark heard about The Dark Knight. However, the difference was everything he heard about The Dark Knight came from rumors. From what Clark understood he was a Knight that took the law into his own hand.

XXXXXX

“WHAT?!?”

“Diana, we have no other choice. I like this idea even less than you do, my sun and stars. It’s the only way. We have stayed hidden as long as we have been able too. Fighting a war against Kryptonians would be too much even for us. We are in need of allies.”

“But WHY? Why ME, mother? Surely there are other Amazons that would be love to have this mission, no?”

“There are, Diana. You are the princess and the strongest of us all.” Hippolyta calmly stated. “You are the perfect ambassador for our people.” She continued. Diana gave her mother a look of reluctant acceptance. “Am I allowed to choose who will travel with me?” Diana asked with a twinge of hope in her voice.

XXXXXXX

Clark had completed his mission and was now on his way back to the capital. He would be within the capital walls in a matter of hours. The entire incident gave Clark an uneasy feeling. It was like his stomach was in knots. General Zod. The Kritarchy. The Dark Knight. The Holy Empire. It was as if it were a game of chess. Clark just didn’t know how set the board up. Why would The Dark Knight show up? Why save a mother and her child? He gained nothing from the act. He lost nothing from simply doing nothing, so why act at all? Clark was far from stupid. He understood that the world was full of good and evil, but there was always evil within that good.

There was always a reason to fight. A reason accompanied every action. The Dark Knight was an enigma that Clark just couldn’t begin to understand. With a throbbing in Clark’s head, he decided it was best to just stop thinking. The massive walls of the capital caught his eye. No matter how many times he gazed upon the capital he couldn’t help, but be mesmerized by its beauty. St. Peter would forever be a second home to Clark.

It took another hour for Clark to finally reach the only entrance into the city. No one stopped him like the other. Everyone knew who The Holy Knight was. It made his traveling much easier since he was constantly coming to and from on missions. From the entrance to The Holy Temple took another hour. The capital was the largest city in the entire Holy Empire.

Clark walked with urgency. He knew what information he had was of the upmost importance. What he had to say needed to reach The High Priest immediately. For that reason alone Clark did not knock and barged into the room. Clark knew he messed up as soon as he saw a 6’5” blonde hair man in royal garbs turn around. Immediately Clark kneeled in respect. “Rise, my child.” The emperor spoke in authoritative manner. Clark rose back to his feet “I’m sorry for my intrusion, your majesty.” The emperor laughed and waved Clark’s comment off as if it were truly nothing. Clark finally took the room in. The vision of a sun kissed angel greeted Clark’s eyes.

The High Priest took in Clark’s surprise at the unexpected visitors. “This is her highness Diana of Themyscira.” The High Priest said as he extended his arm towards her. “And her personal guard, Artemis of Bana-Mighdall.” He continued directing his extended hand towards a beautiful red headed woman. Clark bowed in respect of the princess before he turned to The High Priest “Your holiness, it’s urgent I speak with you. I have information regarding the massacre of St. James.”

Shock appeared on everyone’s face in the room. “It’s alright. You may speak here since The Emperor was to be informed, and The Holy Empire and Themyscira have become newly acquainted allies.” This was a complete and utter surprise for Clark. The Holy Empire has only one loose alley with The Blood Kingdom. Even then it didn’t stop the two countries from going to war. For The Holy Empire to enter an alliance it meant that more was truly going on than Clark had ever known.

“Your holiness, Your majesty, the massacre of St. James was committed by The Kritarchy. Their… their rampage on the citizens of St. James would have continued if it wasn’t for… The Dark Knight.” Shock was on the faces of both distinguished men in the room. The Kritarchy has never done anything that would make The Holy Empire go to war with them. The angelic voice of Diana broke the men’s deep thoughts “Who is this Dark Knight that you speak of, if I may ask your majesty.”

Clark would’ve corrected Diana for addressing the emperor over the High Priest, but instead he spoke for them both “He’s a man… well we believe him to be a man. He dresses up as–“

“HE IS NOTHING MORE THAN A RUMOR!!” The Holy Emperor roared. The Dark Knight was a sore topic for The Holy Emperor. This unknown man was responsible for the deaths of many knights belonging to the empire, so the emperor’s outburst hadn’t surprised Clark. However, it did surprise the two women in the room.

“Clark, you are dismissed.”

“Yes your holiness.”

XXXXXX

Diana was surprised by how the emperor reacted. She understood that the topic of the mysterious and aloof Dark Knight would not be discussed by The Holy Emperor or The High Priest, but she knew that the other man, Clark, would be far more willing to give said information up. She looked everywhere for the man, but he seemed as aloof as The Dark Knight. There was only one place she had access to that she had yet to check, the training grounds.

The training grounds are located outside. It was massive and walled off. Ordinary swords and gear of all sizes was located all around the training grounds for public use. What confused Diana more than anything else was why a temple would need training grounds or knights for that matter. She buried those thoughts when she saw the man she was looking for. He looked to be at the end of his training session. She slowly walked over to the man as he stretched. Seeing a man, in general, was still a shocking and new experience for her.

Once she approached The Holy Knight, she called out to him “Excuse me, sir.” Clark looked up at her, and she finally got a good look at the man. He was gorgeous, rugged looking, with his warm blue eyes. “Is there something you need, your highness?”

“Yes. We got interrupted when you were telling me about The Dark Knight.”

“Ah. I really shouldn’t tell you anything more than what I already said. The High Priest wouldn’t be please especially since we, our nations, just became allies. However, I do think you deserve to hear about him. I personally have never seen the so called knight. Everything I’ve heard came from rumors, so I respectfully ask that you take what I’m about to say as such. He’s a man who dresses in dark obsidian armor. It’s said that his armor takes in all light. That not even the sunlight reflects off it. He’s said to have killed many knights from the empire. People say the knights were corrupt and crooked. He’s said to stalk the night looking for anyone who prays on the weak.”

“Hmm. Is he a knight from the empire gone rogue or from a different nation?” Diana inquired. “No one knows, but from rumors I’ve heard he was never a knight. He was a child who watched his parents slaughtered in front of him. It’s all rumor thought since nothing has been proven.”

“That’s horrible. Is there anything you’ve heard about him that isn’t a rumor?”

“Yes. It comes from a woman, a mother, that was able to survive the massacre of St. James. She spoke of him like a savior. She called him an angel. She believed that god sent him to protect her and her child from death. She was the only person I saw in St. James that had any hope left in her eyes. She even made me believe that maybe he was sent by god. The one question I that plagued me the most was why did he save her? What made her special? He had no gain from it. He gained nothing by saving her and lost nothing by walking away. Instead, he fought off a special group of knights from The Kritarchy. He risked his life for some woman, and left before anyone could give him recognition. This just simply baffles me.”

XXXXXX

The sun was slowly setting off into the distance. The sky was a beautiful orange color. There was not a cloud in sight. It almost seemed like Mother Nature knew what was about to take place. It was as if she was making sure nothing would spoil this reunion. A knight slowly walked towards a hill that had three gravestones at the top. Once he reached the top, he slowly removed his helmet to reveal dark blue eyes and black hair to the world. His dark stormy blue eyes roared over the gravestones as if committing each to memory.

It was unnecessary since the knight already had each memorized. Slowly he walked over to the first one. He caressed the gravestone as if it was the cheek of a woman, lovingly. “Mother… I miss you.” His hand feel down and went back to his side before he moved on to the second gravestone. This time he simply just rested his hand on top of the gravestone as if he were trying to transfer the weight of the world off his shoulders and onto the gravestone.

“Father… I need your wisdom.” He reluctantly took his hand off the gravestone taking back the weight of the world. He rotated his shoulders as if trying to settle that weight. Finally, he moved on to the last gravestone. The tears he held back couldn’t be denied anymore. They slowly fell from his eyes and rain down his cheek as he spoke “I was never able to say this to you, and I’ve regretted it ever second that I spent with you not saying it.” He softly spoke.

“I always thought you were like a father to me, but I was wrong… you’re not like a father– you are my father, Alfred. And the fact that I’ve been lucky enough to have had two amazing ones in this life of mine… well, it only makes it harder to say… goodbye, dad.” He continued. The tears had yet to stop. This was the one day he was allowed this grief, this heartache. This was the one day the world wasn’t on his shoulders, and yet he would give it all up to have any of these people back in his life.

However, he was still glad to have grown up knowing each person that rested here. With a sad smile he whispered “I love you…” He turned around and wiped the tears from his eyes. His time here with his family was up. The sun had finally set, and the moon had taken its place. The night was upon him. He grabbed his helmet and placed it back on top of his head transforming back into The Dark Knight.

XXXXXX

A 6’1” 325 pound blonde hair man sat upon his throne as the surrounding nobles squabbled with one another. Two days ago a knight had rushed into the throne room as if the devil himself was chasing him. The knight would’ve surely been severely reprimanded if he had not told the information that was the current discussion of today. “Your majesty… Blood King… King Arthur!” A nobleman from his faction yelled. The Nobles were split up into two factions.

The Nobleman’s on his side believed that he was the true heir to the throne even though he was the bastard son of the queen. They were the King’s faction while the nobleman on the other side believed his brother Orn to be the true heir to the throne. They were the noble faction. “What?” The King questioned. “What do you make of the news that The Kritarchy massacred a city in The Holy Empire?”

“Well, The Kritarchy has never done something like this before, so I’m skeptical if they were the ones who truly committed the act. However, as loose allies to The Holy Empire, we should prepare to go to war.” Arthur comely spoke. This caused the entire room to erupt into an argument. It left the king to ponder about if he should personally give his condolences to The Holy Emperor. It would allow for them to strengthen ties. The Blood King doubted that the massacre in St. James was the only act The Kritarchy had planned.

XXXXXXXX

General Zod knelt before The Kritarchs. This meeting had been called because they picked a new target for Zod to attack. “General Zod.”

“You are hereby ordered to go into The Blood Kingdom.”

“And into the city of Ely to kill the citizens.”

General Zod had expected The Blood Kingdom to be next. “Yes, your honors.” Zod raised from his kneel and turned towards the exit.

“Do!”

“Not!”

“Fail!” Zod had no intentions of failing. There would be no Dark Knight to stop him this time. General Zod smiled in a sick sadistic way as he left the chamber that housed The Kritarchs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s chapter 2. If you liked it please leave a review. I always appreciate hearing your inputs. Thanks- Wally West.

**Author's Note:**

> How did you like it? Please leave a review. I’ve got some fundamentals down about this world. Started this like a week ago, but for the life of me I just couldn’t start the present off right. I kept deleting what I’d write. Truly a hassle but I’m glad I did.- The Fastest Man Alive, Wally West.


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